AJ Styles Offers Advice to Wrestlers Attending WWE Tryouts During SummerSlam Weekend

AJ Styles offers words of wisdom to the upcoming WWE Tryouts participants.

As noted previously, WWE will host its latest Tryouts during SummerSlam 2026 weekend in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on August 1 and 2.

Several independent wrestlers, including a few scouted by Styles himself, will look to secure an elusive WWE contract in Minneapolis next weekend. Naturally, not everyone will be successful in their endeavors and are bound to get disheartened.

On the latest edition of The Phenomenally Retro podcast, AJ Styles urged the invitees not to lose hope and beat themselves up if WWE doesn’t offer them a contract.

He offered his own example as inspiration and also shared what he told the wrestlers he’s scouted ahead of the trial.

Below are the highlights:

On what he’d like to say to the WWE Tryouts invitees

“I’m so glad you asked that, too, because that’s a reality. That is a reality of what could happen. But, like you and I have talked about so much, what a great time to be a wrestling fan, ’cause there’s so much of it going on. So many opportunities to go and do this for a living that I think that, you know, TNA, AEW, you name it. Like Japan, there’s other places that we’re able to go and do this. It’s not over.

“You’re still young. There’s still opportunities. So, I just hope that people realize that don’t freaking let it break you, ’cause they didn’t pick AJ Styles up, either. When WCW got bought out by WWE, they did not pick up on my contract. I went back to the indies. A couple months [later], WCW went out of business or got bought in 2001. By 2002, TNA had started up, June of 2002, and I was able to get a job there and was there for 11 years. We know the rest of the story. So, it’s not over. Everything happens exactly the way it’s supposed to. I promise you that. So don’t stress about the trial. Go out.”

On what he told wrestlers he helped secure the upcoming WWE Tryout

“Here’s what I’ve told some of my guys: ‘I didn’t want you because I thought you could be something that WWE wants you to be. I selected you because I liked you, the character. So, be you when you do this trial. Don’t be what you think WWE wants you to be.”

Check out his comments below:

Please credit The Phenomenally Retro podcast and give an H/T to 411Mania for the transcription if you take quotes from this article.